The number of people receiving aids and adaptations to their home from the state has fallen, according to the latest findings from Age UK in their ‘Agenda for Later Life 2013: Improving life in touch times’ report.
When paired with the fact that there will also be an estimated reduction in care should the government not take into account the rapid rate of our aging population, we could be entering a dangerous era for our elderly communities, and Manage At Home estimates it will be up to private sector companies to provide guidance and advice on remaining independent through later years.
Key findings in the report include:
- One in five households include someone with a mobility problem (most over 60 years of age) whereas less than 4% of these homes are fully accessible to those with mobility issues.
- Mobility aids have been amongst the products that are often missold to this generation. Older communities are often targeted by rogue traders and as a result are subjected to poor and/or fraudulent selling practices.
- Between £3.7 and £5.5 billion of income-related benefits are unclaimed by pensioners each year – an amount that could actually provide care or assisted living arrangements for a large number of this demographic.
Thankfully, the daily living aids market offers more products to this audience than ever before, meaning that a reasonable percentage of the older population could become more independent by simple changes to their home, reducing the strain on carers as well as the difficult decision whether to move home or not in later life.
In addition, news that many pensions and benefits are left unclaimed could provide much needed funding for these changes, and it should act as a reminder that those of pension age should regularly check what benefits they are entitled to.
You can read the full brochure on the Age UK website here.
For more information on products that could help to improve mobility around the home, browse our mobility shop online or call us on 0800 910 1864.